The present disclosure relates to a method for processing organic cells, to a microfluidic system for processing organic cells and to a manufacturing method for producing such a microfluidic system.
In molecular diagnostics, there is often the need to detect pathogenic nucleic acids such as DNA or RNA from a sample. Pathogenic DNA or RNA refers to the DNA or RNA obtained from a pathogen, for example a virus, a bacterium or a fungus. Sample refers to the liquid to be analyzed, typically a liquid or liquefied patient sample, for example blood, urine, stool, sputum, cerebrospinal fluid, lavage fluid, a rinsed-out swab or a liquefied tissue sample. The nucleic acids are purified and subjected to an analysis by means of which the presence of particular pathogens or genes, for example resistance genes, is tested. Said analysis can, for example, be carried out by sequencing, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), real-time PCR and/or hybridization on a microarray.
A nucleic acid is often purified from a sample by disrupting or lysing the pathogens and then adsorbing the nucleic acids to a solid phase, for example a silica filter or microparticles in the form of beads. Besides chemical and enzymatic methods for lysis, there are also mechanical methods, for example using ultrasound or by grinding with beads. The goal of purification is to provide the nucleic acid in concentrated form for a subsequent amplification and/or detection. To concentrate the pathogens before the purification, the sample is, for example, centrifuged or flushed across a filter.
EP 1 179 585 B1 describes a cartridge for lysing components of a fluid sample. The cartridge has a lysis chamber having a wall to which it is possible to couple an ultrasound transducer in order to bring about a transfer of ultrasonic energy into the lysis chamber.